ingredient

[in-gree-dee-uhnt]

noun

1. something that enters as an element into a mixture.

   Flour, eggs, and sugar are the main ingredients in the cake.

2. a constituent element of anything; component.

   the ingredients of political success.

ingredient

/ ɪnˈɡriːdɪənt /

noun

1. a component of a mixture, compound, etc, esp in cooking

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingredient¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin ingredient- (stem of ingrediēns ), present participle of ingredī “to go or step into, commence,” equivalent to in- in- ² + -gredient- “going”; gradient

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingredient¹

C15: from Latin ingrediēns going into, from ingredī to enter; see _ingress

Synonym Study

See element.

Example Sentences

Next year, Tasmania’s award-winning The Agrarian Kitchen will be cooking up the finest local ingredients paired with Aussie wines, and Brisbane’s beloved The Bistro by SK Steak & Oyster is grilling premium steaks alongside top-notch seafood.

Read more on Salon

The top 25 most-viewed videos analysed by Hales contained products with an average of 11 and a maximum of 21 potentially irritating active ingredients for pediatric skin.

Read more on Barron's

"You repurpose existing skills -- using an oven, measuring ingredients, kneading dough -- and combine them with new ones, like whipping batter and making frosting, to create something entirely different."

Read more on Science Daily

I order French-style beef cubes, which are chunks of meat seasoned with spices like allspice and other ingredients you would find in French food with a Vietnamese influence.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We have to truly give them the best—from lower price points to sourcing ingredients—then still be able to maintain a business.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• additive 
• element 
• factor 
• piece